St. Francis of Assisi - St Jeannes'

Intro

My names day, what’s a names day?!

I’m reminded that I’m not a saint yet. And that’s the biggest problem in the church today!

What do we have because of Francis? We have the nativity scene, we have Italy, Assisi , Saint Clair and her little sister St Agnes, the missions and this the state of California, Saint Bonaventure, and Anthony and Padre Pio, and my favorite Polock saint, Maximilian Kolbe! We have capuchinos, and we have Franciscans taking care of sites in the holy land!

Complaining

…In pain you pray for me to act, but that I act in the way you want. You do not turn to me, instead, you want me to adapt to your ideas. You are not sick people who ask the doctor to cure you, but rather sick people who tell the doctor how to. So do not act this way, but pray as I taught you in the Our Father: “Hallowed be thy Name,” that is, be glorified in my need. …I will intervene with all my omnipotence, and I will resolve the most difficult situations. Surrender Novena day 3

“I bear the marks of Jesus in my body.” - we would complain which is why it doesn’t happen more.

“The world is crucified to me and I to the world!” I see things differently. I see Christ! I see the Christ story playing out anew around me!

Laudato Si 2.0

Pope Francis came out with another addition to caring for the environment.

But we are children. We can’t take care of everything. And so, we take care of the little that is in our possession. None of you are Adam and Eve, Kings and Queen of all creation!!!! You might have a house, or a car, or a business, or a new school, enough to take care of this, and take care of it well! And trust that God will take care of the rest! Oh I can’t wait to see what the new heavens and the new earth look like! “The world is crucified to me!” And so he did something that terrified him… he hugged the leper! He kissed him! He saw Christ in him! The leper was Christ!”

But also think how, if you’re gonna get married, Christ gives you a spouse. I don’t want you to spend all your time thinking about the planet, but taking care of the creation, as a King, as a Queen, though little, like St Francis, taking care of your spouse, taking care of your kids, taking care of your own body and soul, as a part of creation. Much easier to go and fix something or shout for “progress” than to do a holy hour.

St Francis is the patron of the environment, not so much because he sang to the birds and wolves, but because he got to heaven, brought others to heaven, knew Christ intimately (pray more than you Bible study) and became a “New Adam” just like Christ! And that’s why he could talk to animals. Just like Christ talked to animals (the temptation of Jesus in Mark, at once the spirit drove him out into the desert, and he remain in the desert for 40 days, tempted by Satan. He was among wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him. Mk 1:12-13)Just like Adam could communicate with animals in the garden.

Ecumenism and the Sultan

Is a patron saint of ecumenism, because he wants talked with the Egyptian warlord, fighting against the Crusaders in the fifth crusade. An armed he went to have an audience with the great sultan, and he was beaten, but finally he was granted an audience, and stayed with the sultan for three days. he talked to the sultan about Christ, and he preached the gospel to him, and the gospel is there’s no way to the father except through Christ. That’s fearlessness, he wielded the gospel instead of a sword. But as poverty gave others the permission to believe in him, and when he tried to give Francis stuff, Saint Francis said, “no, I came from that, but I am new.” “If I preach the Gospel, if you accept Christ, this war would be over!”

Synod

“Francis, rebuild my church!” Isn’t this what’s happening in the synod? Let me get my opinion out there, so others can hear my opinion. I’ve been wrong a lot, and what the church needs, what the synod needs is for you to be a saint. You need to pray for the synod and pray that the Holy Spirit is permitted by the bishops and the pope to be present, and to encounter God, so that we, the little children of the little Church, that we might be led to salvation.

Dreams

Is it ok to dream? A young lady asked me yesterday… well of course! To use your imagination and wonder at your what you are to become?! Lovely, but we must be careful with what dreams we choose to pursue! I tried to pursue the dream of being a ball player. But that ended and I was heartbroken, really sad. But God still had a dream for me, “my little Ian come be a saint!” And that led me to the dream of being a priest! But I’m not finished! I still have work to do! I want you to dream and wonder today, what would being a beautiful, great, and little saint look like? And then have the courage to say, ok Lord, live out your dream with me!